APPLETON, Wis. — The Lawrence University football team closed out its home schedule Saturday afternoon, falling to the University of Chicago 53-21 at Ron Roberts Field at the Banta Bowl.
UChicago took an early lead after recovering a Lawrence fumble and returning it 11 yards for a touchdown. The Maroons added a passing touchdown and a field goal to build a 17-0 advantage after the opening quarter.
The Maroons extended their lead to 24-0 early in the second quarter, but Lawrence answered with a scoring drive late in the half. Boris Christensen connected with Ethan Holland for a 34-yard touchdown with 35 seconds remaining. UChicago added a field goal as time expired to take a 27-7 lead into halftime.
UChicago opened the second half with another field goal before connecting on a 60-yard touchdown pass to extend its advantage. Lawrence responded with a 75-yard scoring drive, capped by a two-yard touchdown run from Christensen. The Maroons added another touchdown on a 28-yard run later in the quarter to take a 44-14 lead into the final period.
UChicago added a rushing touchdown early in the fourth quarter and later recorded a safety. Lawrence continued to battle, putting together an eight-play, 80-yard drive in the closing minutes. Jordan Pidala connected with Parker Wittmayer for an 11-yard touchdown with 1:29 remaining to account for the final score.
Holland led the Lawrence offense with 11 receptions for 154 yards and a touchdown. Antonie Perry added 10 catches for 67 yards, while Wittmayer finished with two receptions for 16 yards and a touchdown.
Christensen completed 21 of 37 passes for 168 yards and a touchdown while adding a rushing touchdown. Pidala completed seven of eight passes for 102 yards and a touchdown. Chancellor Reddick led the Vikings on the ground with 53 yards on five carries.
Defensively, Jack Wigginton recorded five tackles and two sacks. Brady Dilworth, DeShawn Blair and Dominic Luchina each finished with three tackles.
